Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Residency For Veterinarians Approved At UA

The American College of Poultry Veterinarians has approved a residency program for poultry veterinarians in the University of Arkansas' Center of Excellence for Poultry Sciences (CELPS).

The 18-month program will prepare participants for the American College of Poultry Veterianarians certification exam, Dr. Kirk Skeeles, a veterinarian in the UA poultry science department, said.

"The residents must be licensed, or eligible to be licensed, to practice veterinary medicine in Arkansas; and they will spend most of their time working on problems in the poultry industry," Skeeles said.

They will also be involved in UA poultry health research and will work with the staff of the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission's Diagnostic Laboratory in Springdale, he said.

Dr. James Denton, CEPS director and poultry science department head, said, "This is a great opportunity for veterinarians to work with some of the world's leading poultry health researchers in our new laboratories."

The Center of Excellence for Poultry Science is based in the 112,000- square-foot John W. Tyson building housing UA faculty and the USDA Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit. The center also includes the 12,000-square-foot poultry health laboratory, which has state-of-the-art pathogen isolation facilities for research under tightly controlled conditions.

The residency program will be supervised by a committe made up of UA faculty members, the director of the poultry disease diagnostic laboratory, and at least three poultry industry veterinarians. It will be supported in part by grants from poultry companies and allied industry firms that provide poultry health services and products.

Sponsoring companies are asked to donate $5,000 per year, and they will receive a minimum of 25 days per year in veterinary support by the resident, Skeeles said.

Initial corporate sponsors include the I.D. Russell Company and Hoffmann- LaRoche, Inc., which pledged five years of sponsorships.

Dr. Steve Davis, a Hoffmann-LaRoche veterinarian and director of technical services for poultry, said the program is "a win, win, win scenario.

"The veterinarians will receive valuable training, the industry will get immediate technical assistance and more veterinarians working in poultry, and the University's research program will be strengthened," he said.

Hoechst-Roussel has also pledged sponsorhip by donating a vehicle to the program.

Skeeles said, "The residents will spend most of their time working away from campus with major commitments to the poultry industry outside of Northwest Arkansas. A good vehicle is essential, and the donation by Hoechst is significant to the success of the program."